The origins of additive manufacturing lie in producing small, precise and complex objects. While this remains its core competency, developments at the other end of the scale have escalated dramatically. Thus, a continuing trend within the 3D printing industry is to “Go Large.”

Here, All3DP lines up the biggest 3D printers in the world and highlights the capabilities of these platforms. Some are commercially available, others are proprietary and others still are purely research oriented. This feature also looks at some of the application areas for these large-scale machines, including houses, car frames, furniture, and even plane parts.

Biggest 3D Printer #1: ESA3DP – 3D Printing a Lunar Habitat

What does it print?Enrico Dini has been cited as one of the original individuals behind the concept of 3D printing a house ever since he first invented the D-Shape concept. His technology is now the basis for a study by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the additive construction of Lunar colonies using lunar regolith. This 3D printer research does not work on extrusion like the other construction 3D printers, rather it uses a binder jetting process, which means it deposits layers of a particular artificial sandstone and subsequently creates the construction layer by applying a binder. This offers more geometrical freedom for construction than other technologies. His creations are currently picked up by ESA, as All3DP reported.

What does it print? Although not yet available, South Africa’s aerospace parts manufacturer, Aerosud, has announced the development of a proprietary large scale metal 3D printer. Project Aeroswift will use a selective laser melting technology to produce parts in a build area of 2 meters and 0.5 meters in the X and Y axes respectively. So far, the Z axis has not been specified. The South African National Laser Center has pledged their support to the project by creating a 5 kW IPG single-fiber diode laser to use in the laser sintering machine. The primary material used will be powdered titanium.

What does it print? The Stratasys Infinite-Build Demonstrator utilizes a completely original approach to part build whereby the Z axis of a typical 3D printer (where the layers are added) effectively becomes the X axis. Essentially this means that the Infinite-Build is set up to print sideways. Therefore, theoretically, parts can be printed to an infinite length. The Infinite-Build demonstrator utilizes plastic materials in pellet form.

Stratasys only revealed the project earlier in 2016. Research began on this project more than 10 years ago and has been developed in collaboration with Boeing.

Biggest 3D Printer #4: Winsun – 3D Prints Houses in China

What does it print? Chinese company Winsun has created one of the biggest 3D printers by far with the aim of printing furniture, houses, and even five-story buildings. The company claims to already have a working build volume that is up to 132 feet long (40 meters), 33 feet wide (10 meters) and 22 feet (6.7 meters) tall. The best part of Winsun process is that it uses recycled concrete from construction waste. The process is therefore significantly friendlier to the environment than traditional construction. Winsun is currently building 100 recycling facilities around China to keep up with demand.

Biggest 3D Printer #5: BetAbram P1 – 3D Prints Habitats

What does it print? Slovenian company BetAbram has developed — and is already selling — a range of house printers that can 3D print habitable structures from a CAD file. The largest one is the P1, which can print objects as long as 16 meters, with 9-meter width and 2-meter height. The machine can print layers of 25 cm. Prices are starting at €12,000 for the basic P3 model. All3DP understands that plans are afoot to release even larger printers that will operate at faster speeds.

What does it print? The central remit of Italian company WASP’s founder Massimo Moretti is the creation of an economically sustainable 3D printer that can build homes on location, in places of need, using soil and minimum energy. The company’s aims have resulted in great progress in scaling up its delta 3D printers. The largest of which (to date) is the BigDeltaWasp12m. One of the key features of the Wasp printers is the specially developed extruders that allow them to print clay materials.

This printer is currently in use in Ravenna, Italy, building temporal shelters. Also, it was the main attraction of Maker Faire Rome 2016.

What does it print? The Big 3D-Printer 2156 belongs to an impressive portfolio of large 3D printers from Swiss company Imprimere AG. Other 3D printer models in the family include the 185 and the 1063. The 2165 is Imprimere’s biggest 3D printer with a platform frame of 20 meters long, 14 meters wide and 9.50 meters high with a respective build volume of 5,75 x 6 x 6,25 meters. The 2156 can manufacture concrete components such as sculptures, statues or complex facade parts out of digital templates as well as dwellings. The printer also allows you to scan objects, define new dimensions and print in concrete overnight.

What does it print? Currently, the BAAM prints car frames. With a build volume of 6 x 2.3 x 1.8 meters, it is one of the biggest 3D printers in the world. It is capable of 3D printing an entire car frame in one build. Indeed, it was BAAM platform that was used to 3D print the Strati car for Local Motors. The size and speed allow large parts to be produced quickly processing thermoplastic materials. The system has an open architecture for materials, which means material costs can be kept lower with more alternatives.

What does it print? California-based Erectorbot offers a wide range of large format FFF 3D printers. The largest 3D printer yet from the company has recently been launched — the EB2076LX with a build volume of 20ft x 7ft x 6 ft or 23 cubic meters. All ErectorBot 3D printers can use tools other than the extruder head. Since they are built to be robust, they can easily turn into large-sized CNC’s for subtractive processes as well. Depending on machine length and process, an ErectorBot can reach mechanical speeds of up to 1000 mm/sec.

Available extruder options including the dual high temp Micron 3DP extruders, along with a pellet extruder that the company dubbed the “Erecto-Struder”.

Biggest 3D Printer #10: KamerMaker – 3D Prints a House in Amsterdam

What does it print? The KamerMaker, which translates to “room builder” in English was one of the very first large scale 3D printers to make headlines worldwide. Highly innovative, the platform was developed using the basic FFF technology through a collaboration of Dutch firms DUS Architects and Fiction Factory, but it was scaled up dramatically to build a house from PLA material on a canal in Amsterdam. After more than two years, the house is still under construction. The building site is available to visit — by appointment.

Biggest 3D Printer #11: Sciaky EBAM 300 – 3D Prints Metal Parts

What does it print? Sciaky is a US manufacturer of metal additive manufacturing machines with a considerable portfolio. However, the company’s largest commercially available system is the EBAM 300 with a build envelope of 5791 mm x 1219 x 1219 mm. Sciaky also claims that the EBAM 300 is one of the fastest industrial metal 3D printers on the market. They state it can produce a 10-foot-long titanium aircraft structure in 48 hours at a rate of approximately 15 lbs. of metal per hour. Sciaky’s novel technology uses a high power electron beam gun to melt a 3 mm thick titanium filament, with standard deposition rates ranging from 7 to 20 lbs. per hour.

What does it print? The Voxeljet VX4000 is a true industrial additive platform. It is commercially available to cater to specific needs across the manufacturing industry. The VX4000 has proved valuable for the production of very large individual molds as well as small-series components or a combination of the two. Voxeljet has specially adapted the additive layering process for the VX4000. Instead of lowering the building platform after each layer the print head is raised to ensure that the machine can support the heavy weight of the build platform. This also means that the VX4000 can print almost continuously.

What does it print? Fabrisonic’s production machines are based on hybrid additive and subtractive technologies that allow for the Ultrasonic AM process. Fabrisonic’s platforms are three-axis CNC mills, which have an added welding head for additive manufacturing. The metal layers are first cut and then welded together. Fabrisonic’s largest 3D printer, the 7200, has an impressive build volume of 2 x 2 x 1.5 meters.

Biggest 3D Printer #14: EFESTO 557 – Prints Big Metal Parts

Commercial Availability: Available as a Service. Available for Purchase 2017.

What does it print? EFESTO, based in the US, has specialized in large-format metal 3D printing since 2011. The EFESTO 557 is the firm’s largest platform. It is capable of printing complex shapes and parts with build volumes up to 1.5 x 1.5 x 2.1 meters in metal materials such as mild steel, stainless steel, Titanium, Inconel and other metal alloys (more on consumer and industrial metal 3D printing here).

Biggest 3D Printer #15: Exone Exerial – Serial Production 3D Printing

What does it print? ExOne is another US manufacturer of large frame industrial additive manufacturing platforms. Last year the company introduced its largest system to date, the Exerial, for serial production applications. The exact dimensions of the Exerial’s build chamber have not been published, however ExOne does state that with its double chamber the platform has a working volume of 3.68 cubic liters. Like Voxeljet, ExOne uses its binder jetting technology to work primarily with sand, plastic and metal materials.

Biggest 3D Printer #16: Massivit 1800 – Props to the Real Size

What does it print? Israel-based Massivit 3D has developed a technology called GDP — or Gel Dispensed Printing — which enables its large size 3D printer to produce real size objects rapidly. The GDP process is said to combine the deposition and stereolithography processes by extruding a gel-like material and then rapidly curing it with UV light. Balancing movement speed, curing speed, unique material properties and smart-support algorithms, Massivit’s large-frame 3D printer reportedly enables the printing of relatively thick layers at up to 1m per second. This means it can 3D print a real size human body in as little as five hours. The first commercial applications have been in the field of branding, theming and decorative super-sized objects.

Biggest 3D Printer #17: Norsk – Prints Titanium Parts

What does it print? Norsk Titanium has developed its proprietary plasma arc Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) additive manufacturing process, which melts Titanium in a cloud of argon gas to precisely and rapidly build up layers to a near-net-shape. The company is currently working towards opening a service facility in the US to make the process more widely available. The RPD platform developed by Norsk is currently capable of 3D printing parts up to 1200 x 1200 x 1800 mm in size.

Biggest 3D Printer #18: BLB The Box – Large and Fast

What does it print? Swedish company BLB Industries claims to have built one of the largest and fastest 3D printers in the world. “The Box”, as it’s called, can build things from the size of a pinball to complete kitchen table according to the company. Using plastic granulates to reduce material costs this approach offers users a wider range of plastic materials to work with. The system also supports multiple extruder configurations.

Biggest 3D Printer #19: Titan Atlas 2.0 – FDM 3D Printer

What does it print? On goes our biggest 3D printer list with the Atlas 2.0 from US manufacturer Titan Robotics. Priced at $42.000 it has a build space of 42 x 42 x 48 inches (1,067 m x 1,067 m x 1,22 m) and prints most filament materials (ABS, PLA, PETG, Nylon, TPE Ninjaflex & more). This large 3D printer can also be upgraded with additional options like a dual extruder, Yaskawa Closed loop AC Servo or a metal enclosure with embedded heating system and PID Controller for ABS/Polycarbonate Prints.

What does it print? The Lens 850-R metal 3D printing platform from Optomec features among the largest metal 3D printers available for purchase today. US-based manufacturer Optomec uses a high-power laser (500W to 4kW) to fuse powdered metals into fully dense three-dimensional structures by way of its proprietary LENS process. The LENS 850-R offers a large work envelope together with a 5-axis motion control system. Thus, it is suited for the repair and fabrication of high-value large metal components used in the Aerospace and Defense industries.

What does it print? Belgium-based 3D printing company Materialise developed the largest stereolithography (SL) 3D printer and runs a series of them from its Leuven HQ. The machines are not available for purchase, rather they are used in-house to provide large scale 3D printing services using photopolymer materials. While SLA is considered a high definition technology for small objects such as jewelry and orthodontics, this machine is as tall as a two-story cottage, and can 3D print parts as long as 2.1 meters.

It is used mainly for large car part prototypes, and for the high-end design and fashion industries.

What does it print? With the BigRep One v3 we move into the lower-cost 3D printing arena. Large format 3D printers are now becoming available for professionals and prosumers, offering the capability to 3D print very large objects at a fraction of the cost. The BigRep One v3 is the largest platform in this segment. With a build volume of 1 cubic meter (980 x 1050 x 1100 mm) the BigRep system processes typical 3D printing plastic filament materials within an open build area. The platform is capable of producing full-size furniture and is also garnering interest among designers and architects.

In 2016, BigRep also introduced a new large 3D printer model called the BigRep Studio. It has a build volume of 500mm x 1000mm x 500mm, uses the same FDM-technology and even fits through a door (which is important for delivery).

What does it print? South African inventor Hans Fouche recently made his large size 3D printer commercially available. The Cheetah 3.1 costs just 100,000 South African Rand (approximately $10,900 plus shipping), with lead times of 1 month. The Cheetah 3.1 3D printer has a standard 3 mm nozzle, which means it can produce large objects fast using ABS and PLA pellets, lowering cost of use compared with similar 3D printers. The machine can also support different size nozzles for higher speed or precision. More information on that great piece of hardware here.

What does it print? It’s the Italian company WASP again. Unlike the platform at the top of this list, this machine is commercially available. This one is a real maker’s dream, as the DeltaWASP 3MT allows for exchangeable extruders — including a pellet extruder, a fluid-dense extruder (i.e. for clay) and even a milling machine. This platform features a cylindrical build plate, which has a diameter of 1 meter and prints up to 1 meter in the Z axis.

What does it print? If you want to make industrial-level end parts using some of the most advanced thermoplastic materials, including several types of high-performance ABS, Nylon 12 and ULTEM, you would have to turn to a Stratasys Fortus 900mc. This is the largest industrial FDM machine available from Stratasys and can make parts as large as 914 x 610 x 914 mm. Since Stratasys still owns the patent on sealed chamber FDM 3D printing, it is also the only machine that can print high-performance, high-temperature plastics with consistent results, even for end use tools or consumer products.

Biggest 3D Printer #26: 3DP Workbench – Tall FDM 3D Printer

What does it print? 3D Platform manufacturers industrial-grade, large-format 3D printers, and its second-generation 3D printer — the 3DP Workbench — is an additive manufacturing workbench that offers a large build area of 1 x 1 x 0.5 meters. The company is based in Illinois, USA and utilizes its expertise in mechatronics and linear motion to design and construct its large format 3D printers while offering open market software and control solutions.

Biggest 3D Printer #27: Rep Rap X1000 – RepRap Industrial 3D Printer

What will it print? German RepRap, one of the largest manufacturers of low-cost 3D printers, developed the large frame X1000 platform with an enclosed build volume of 1000 x 800 x 600 mm and can process any open source filament materials.

What does it print? Stratasys also offers a large frame platform utilizing its other proprietary 3D printing process: PolyJet. The Objet 1000 Plus has the capability to produce multi-material prototypes utilizing this photopolymer-based technology that can 3D print with up to 14 different materials in a single print job, using the company’s Digital ABS, Tango and Vero families of consumables. The Objet 1000 has a build volume of 1000 x 800 x 500 mm and can work mostly unattended. It is used for large automotive and aerospace prototypes.

Biggest 3D Printer #29: Leapfrog XceL – Tall FDM 3D Printer

What does it print? The Dutch 3D printer manufacturer Leapfrog has introduced the XceL model, a frame version of its family of 3D printers. The XceL uses up to two printheads — when printing with one head, it is possible to build products or parts up to 0.53 x 0.5 x 2.3 meters). When using the dual extrusion option, the volume shrinks a little to 0.51 x 0.5 x 2.3 meters. It also offers a closed environment, a heated bed, filament detection and Wi-Fi.